Brenda Knight, San Francisco author and associate publisher of Cleis Press and Viva Editions, recently emailed me the following bit of information with the simple note, “You can have fun with this, right?” Well, yes, I can, and so can you.
Brenda has offered a prize of one of her wonderful books to the best letter to the Queen. Of course, you’ll be extolled on facebook and twitter as our winners and also be given the spot of honor here to share your winning letter with the Examiner.com readers.
Privilege has not shielded the Queen from sadness or tragedy. Personally, I think she has been absolutely heroic in maintaining her dignity through six decades of wrenching social changes and having to adapt publicly to unasked-for challenges in her family and political life. I think she deserves pile of love letters. And won’t that be nice when in another 200 years they are unearthed by someone and become part of her history and your part in it?
Remember that a love letter is not just for romance, but for any gratitude, appreciation, support, friendship or reviving times long past. If you wish to write a formal letter, you can open with ‘Madam’ and close the letter with the form ‘I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty’s humble and obedient servant’. This traditional approach is by no means obligatory. You should feel free to write in whatever style you feel comfortable.
In honor of her coronation anniversary of June 2nd, please email me a copy of the letter you write to her at info@loveletterslive.com by contest deadline of noon May 29th. As Queen Elizabeth apparently does not have an email address (or a last name) you will have to write to her at home. Snail mail.
Her address is:
Her Majesty the Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1AA AA
I’ve written mine and am eager to hear what you all say. And, thank you Brenda for thinking of this and offering the prize.
From me to you with love in the air,
Janet